'I was trying to be superwoman'

DROWNING TRAGEDY

And being stressed out doesn't just put you at risk of health problems - as 31 per cent of those questioned admitted to making mistakes at work, while 45 per cent revealed stress has led to relationship problems.

Meanwhile, others reported stress had caused them to cancel a night out with friends, shout at their children more than usual, and even go off sex.

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Stress increases the risk of various health problems, including heart disease, obesity and infertility

Alison Cullen, a spokesman for A.Vogel - who commissioned the research - said: “Ongoing stress causes the body to put everything on hold except immediate survival.

"Areas such as fertility, detoxing, and immune cells patrolling to check for infections are neglected.

"The result is more cold and flu infections, which in turn cause more stress.

The top ten causes of stress

1. Being late
2. Running out of time
3. Getting stuck in traffic
4. Health issues
5. A family member's health issues
6. Meeting deadlines
7. Not being able to afford things
8. Putting on weight
9. Cold calls
10. Being in debt

"Many people neglect their health because their schedules are so pressurised; ironically, though, spending a little time on your health can save spending a lot of time being ill.”

Dr Margaret Ritchie, Associate Lecturer at the University of the West of Scotland added: ‘When our bodies experience stress, especially ongoing stress which the survey highlights, it affects the biochemistry and simply put, causes inflammation that impacts on our immunity resulting in our body being more susceptible to flu and colds as winter settles in.”